Last month, Tony Jones recommended that once I had finished reading George Simenon’s Maigret books, I might try reading the late Patrick Kerr’s Bernie Gunther books. Since my recent cold started, I have done just what he suggested, and have already read the first two books in the series.
Bernie Gunther is a World War I veteran (he was a sergeant and won the Iron Cross, Second-class) who joined the Berlin police after his wife died during the Spanish ‘flu epidemic. He eventually became a member of the Berlin Kripo (Kriminalpolizei/Criminal Police), where he was a murder detective with the rank of Kriminalinspektor. He resigned in 1933 before he was purged by the new Nazi regime, and then became a private detective.
Before he died 2018, Philip Kerr wrote fourteen books that featured Bernie Gunther. These were (in order of publication):
Bernie Gunther is a World War I veteran (he was a sergeant and won the Iron Cross, Second-class) who joined the Berlin police after his wife died during the Spanish ‘flu epidemic. He eventually became a member of the Berlin Kripo (Kriminalpolizei/Criminal Police), where he was a murder detective with the rank of Kriminalinspektor. He resigned in 1933 before he was purged by the new Nazi regime, and then became a private detective.
Before he died 2018, Philip Kerr wrote fourteen books that featured Bernie Gunther. These were (in order of publication):
- March Violets (1989), which is set in Berlin during 1936, particularly during the period when the Olympics were being held
- The Pale Criminal (1990), which is set in Berlin during 1938
- A German Requiem (1991), which is set in Berlin and Vienna during 1947–48
- The One From the Other (2006), which is set in Dachau, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Vienna and Palestine during the period up to 1949, although its introduction is set in 1937
- A Quiet Flame (2008), which is set in Berlin during 1932-33 and Buenos Aires in 1950
- If The Dead Rise Not (2009), which is set in Berlin in 1934 and Havana in 1954
- Field Grey (2010), which is set in Havana during 1954, with flashbacks set in Berlin during 1931, 1940, 1941, and 1945-46
- Prague Fatale (2011), which is set in Berlin and Prague during 1941
- A Man Without Breath (2013), which is set in Berlin, Katyn, and Smolensk during 1943
- The Lady From Zagreb (2015), which is set in Berlin, Zurich, and Croatia during 1942–3 and the French Riviera during 1956
- The Other Side of Silence (2016), which is set on the French Riviera during 1956
- Prussian Blue (2017), which is set in Berchtesgaden during 1939 and the French Riviera during 1956
- Greeks Bearing Gifts (2018), which is set in Munich and Greece during 1957
- Metropolis (2019), which is set in Berlin during 1928
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I got the first three as a special deal trilogy on Amazon Kindle and enjoyed them very much.. I'm glad to see that there is a to war time and pre-war Berlin as they were by far the most atmospheric parts of the books - must pick up where I left off.... if you're looking for further recommendations I also rate the Sam Wyndham series by Abir Mukherjee - set in post WWI era India, and fascinating for the background...
ReplyDeleteSteve-the-Wargamer,
DeleteMine were also bought as part of a special Kindle deal.
It took me a few pages to get the hang of the use of German criminal slang, but once I had, it did reinforce the noire feeling of the books.
Thanks for the author recommendation that you made. It’s given me something to think about.
All the best,
Bob
G'Day Bob, there is also the Volker Kutscher series starting with Babylon Berlin. I think there are now four or five books available in English. Cheers greg
ReplyDeleteDelta Coy (Greg),
DeleteThanks for the recommendation. I had no idea that there were so many German detective novels about!
All the best,
Bob
Sounds excellent. Fiction like this is often a good way to get into another time and place I find. Might have to read some of these. A Man Without a Breath sounds particularly interesting.
ReplyDeleteNundanket,
DeleteI’m really enjoying these novels, and will be reading the fourth by the weekend.
A MAN WITHOUT BREATH does sound interesting, and I am looking forward reading it.
All the best,
Bob
Thanks for posting this recommendation. I will try them as they sound great. Should they be read in order?
ReplyDeleteMark Nichipor,
DeleteI’m currently only on the second book that was written, so I’m not sure if they should be read in publication or chronological order.
All the best,
Bob
I have read Kucher’s Gereon Rath thrillers and perhaps this is something I ought to check out. The Rath books are set in nearly the same era.
ReplyDeleteSteve8,
DeleteThat sounds like an interesting series of books that I ought to look at in the future. Thanks for the recommendation.
All the best,
Bob
Glad you're enjoying the books Bob, as to Mark's question, I think that the first three books were written as a one off (or 3 off) and the rest of the books followed a while later so in order of publication is best as they all link up eventually. Happy reading and I hope the cold clears up soon.
ReplyDeleteTake Care,
Tony Jones.
Unknown (Tony Jones),
DeleteI almost deleted your comment unread as I am currently being bombarded with huge numbers of spam comments from people called ‘Unknown’!
Thanks for the advice about which order to read the books in. I was going to stick to reading them in the order in which they were published as one finds that writers seem to grow their characters more as a series progresses.
The cold is no better today, but in the words of Winston Churchill, I ‘keep b*ggering on’ as best I can.
All the best,
Bob
By the way, I just finished Pietr the Latvian and thoroughly enjoyed it .
ReplyDeleteTony Jones.
Unknown (Tony Jones),
DeleteThanks again for recommending these books. I am thoroughly enjoying them!
I am pleased that you enjoyed PIETR THE LATVIAN. It has quite a few plot twists and turns that keep one guessing until the end.
All the books,
Bob
Might I suggest rubbing Vic on the soles of your feet ? (For the congestion not the reading). For some reason I can't understand it works!
ReplyDeleteTake Care,
Tony Jones.
Unknown (Tony Jones),
DeleteThat’s one treatment I’ve never heard before!
All the best,
Bob
Babylon Berlin has already been mentioned. If your cold means you can't focus on a book check out both series on Sky. I really enjoyed them and quality TV for once.
ReplyDeleteGuy
Guy,
DeleteUnfortunately we don’t have Sky, but I’ll look out for the series if it appears on Freeview.
All the best,
Bob
I have the whole series and funnily enough I am reading them again because I find them a pleasure to read. I must admit one can see how Kerr gained in confidence as he wrote more of the series.I found March Violets the poorest of the series but after that one could see Kerr had found his writers voice.My favourite remains Prague Fatale as it concerns that monster Hydrich. It was a tragedy that Kerr died prematurely he is a loss to crime fiction.
ReplyDeleteIndependentwargamesgroup,
DeleteThe second book is certainly better than the first, and I’m hoping that they will continue to improve as I read my way through the series.
I agree that Philip Kerr’s early death brought to an end the career of an excellent writer, but I am looking forward to reading more of his work. I read a short synopsis of PRAGUE FATALE, and it sounds like it has an interesting plot.
All the best,
Bob
Kerr started the Berlin Noir ganre.
ReplyDeleteIt is best but not obligatory to read them in chronological order.
The line in the first book that got me hooked: "She restored my faith in money."
William Stewart,
DeleteI am really enjoying reading Philip Kerr’s books. I am well on my way through the third book, and I am fascinated by the way he has developed the downbeat persona of Bernie Gunther over the books that I have read.
All the best,
Bob